Interesting thread...here's my .02 cents.

As far as the Grand Theft Auto game, it's been pulled from Wal-Mart and from Blockbuster (rental) apparently because of the hidden sexual content. Okay I get that and as a parent I understand that hidden content is unethical. With 4 kids I do appreciate rating labels on games and music and movies to assist in making decisions about what is appropriate. Please note I said assist...not decide for me what or what not myself or my children should be exposed to.

What I don't get is the game was already rated Mature and therefore should not be available for someone under 18 to rent or buy anyways so what was the point pulling it? One of our local rental places that pulled it rents out adult movies. Again I'm confused....I can not rent a video game but I can rent a sleazy DVD that could as easily get into my minor children's hands as a mature game could if I can't be bothered to make some smart parenting decisions.

I do believe in community responsibility but I believe a helluva lot more in parental responsiblity. It ticks me off no end (here comes the soapbox) when society allows and even encourages this whole "poor me I'm a victim" mentality. Let's just blame everyone else for how we act or how our kids turn out...society...video games...movies....music. How sad is it to blame an outside issue like that, when in my mind it's about setting an example in how you live your life for your kid's to see. The world is full of pressures and poor role models, I figure it's my job as a mom to say..."well you will make your own decisions one day, for now I will help you and more importantly show you right from wrong".

None of my kid's are perfect, neither my husband or I are perfect but at least we try and we don't go around blaming this or that when one of our kid's messes up. We went through some tough stuff with our oldest during her early teen years....hard as it was we faced it and more importantly made her face it. No excuses. No blame. No poor me I couldn't help myself. No bad cop picked on me. She did wrong, we helped her stand and face it. I think we all learned something.

So I guess in the end my mind set is....life happens...you deal with it straight up....no excuses. If life did give you a lot to handle or you didn't have the best set of choices....you still have a choice....victim or survivor. I think there's a lot more self-respect in the second choice but that's just my .02 cents.


~~Jo~~